497 Possible damage
Even though it had only been two hours since Eve and Vincent had arrived at Skellington, they turned busy. Vincent had been summoned by the Inner Council and the head Council, while Eve had decided to tag along with her first family, where Lady Aubrey had decided to move back to her home.
Standing in the hallways, Lady Annalise politely told Lady Aubrey, “There is no need to hurry back to Meadow. You can return later or early tomorrow by staying here another day.”
Lady Aubrey smiled at the vampiress’s words, “Your family has been more than accommodating with me and my family, but I must admit that I miss the home my husband and I used to live in terribly. I hope you can take time and visit us, Lady Annalise.”
“I would definitely come to take a look. Especially that fireplace that you spoke about in your living room,” Lady Annalise responded, and on hearing their conversation, Eve smiled. Glad to see that things have progressed compared to what it was in the past.
Little Allie looked slightly bummed at the thought that her temporary governess was leaving and wouldn’t be living in the mansion with her. She stood poised next to her mother, and Lady Aubrey’s eyes shifted to the little one after talking to the older vampiress.
Lady Aubrey said to Allie, “It was a delight to be your governess, Allie. I can tell Eve has been very taken by you since she started working here. You are going to be a bright, young lady, aren’t you?”
Allie brightened by the woman’s words, and she nodded her head vigorously. She softly said, “I will be like you and sister Eve!” And her words brought smiles to everyone’s faces. The little girl then asked, “Is it necessary to go back? You can stay in my room…”
This had Lady Aubrey’s heart melt and she bent to level her eyes with the young vampiress. She said,
“That is very kind of you, and as much as it saddens me, I believe I must return. You are welcome to visit us at any time of the day. And we’ll be more than happy to visit you, isn’t that right, Eugene and Rosetta?”
The newlywed couple nodded, and Rosetta said, “I will be visiting Eve and Eve will be visiting us, you should always come along with her, Allie.”
Allie looked up at her mother for approval, who placed her hand on her daughter’s head before gently sliding it down. Lady Annalise replied, “If it’s with Eve, I don’t see any problem. Oh!” The woman exclaimed when Allie tightly hugged her by wrapping her arms around her.
After Marceline had left the mansion to spend her time in the House of Purgatory, Lady Annalise had finally loosened her hold on Allie and her strictness, trying to understand and build a relationship with Vincent’s wife’s family. This in turn had given Allie the air she needed and to stretch her hands and legs in the presence of people who dotted her.
Exchanging words of thanks, Eugene and Rosetta followed Lady Aubrey towards the carriage. Some of the servants had come to peek from the ends of the hallways, watching them. Eve turned to Lady Annalise and said,
“I will return back soon once they settle down.”
Lady Annalise nodded before she said, “If it gets too late, don’t travel. The roads haven’t been safe for a few days now, and it would be better to wait for Vincent to fetch you, Genevieve.”
Eve offered a respectful bow and said, “I will. Thank you for taking care of them,” she said, meeting the vampiress’s eyes.
“They are your family. Anyone important to you, is now important to the Moriarty family,” Lady Annalise replied, and Eve smiled. Grateful that the vampiress was no more against her and had decided to accept her.
Allie asked, “Mother, can I go with sister Eve?”
“Maybe another day. I am sure things will be busy in the house and you wouldn’t want to hinder them, Allie,” Lady Annalise said to her daughter. She added, “Also, it is going to be past your bedtime when Genevieve returns. You can always look forward to it another time.”
Though a little sad, Allie nodded obeying her mother.
Eve offered another bow before she turned and stepped out of the mansion, stepping into the carriage with the others. The carriage door was closed, and soon, the horses pulled the vehicle out of the mansion’s gates and disappeared at the ends of the street.
Allie, who watched them leave, felt a little lonely as it felt like there had been many people in the mansion, filling it up. But now it felt empty, with Lady Aubrey, Eugene and Rosetta gone. Even Eve, who had arrived, had gone to drop them off, and she held her mother’s hand in hers.
“Mother?” Allie called her mother. And on receiving her mother’s attention, she asked, “When will sister Marceline return home?”
Lady Annalise looked troubled. She replied, “I am not sure, Allie. But hopefully soon.”
“Where is she now? With grandpa and grandma?” Allie asked, looking at her mother with her big innocent eyes.
“No. She’s at another place, a place that… helps one to get better,” Lady Annalise felt the heaviness weigh in her chest. She still couldn’t believe that Marceline was in the House of Purgatory. Somewhere she questioned if leaving Marceline with her grandparents in the past would have been better. But knowing Lady Ravette, Marceline wouldn’t survive more than two days with the older vampiress.
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“Not now, dear. But someday for sure. Come let us get inside,” Lady Annalise said to Allie, taking her daughter by her hand.
Truth was that the members of the Moriarty family doubted if there was any possible redemption for Marceline’s actions. She had done things that were far worse than anyone could imagine. It also made Lady Annalise wonder if it had been a mistake that one particular day, where they had left Marceline at the Holy Oak’s mansion, with her grandmother, while the others had gone out.
She felt guilty, knowing she had let down Katherina.
‘Maybe if you were alive, this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe she would have walked on the right path. Maybe that incident wouldn’t have taken place…’ Lady Annalise thought in her mind.
“Timmyyy!” Allie called the black cat and let go of Annalise’s hands to run after Timotei, who had disappeared behind another corridor. “Wait for me!” The little vampiress said, while Lady Annalise’s footsteps slowed.
As family oriented as the Moriartys were. Her in-laws, particularly her mother-in-law, were stricter and harsher than she appeared to be. There was a reason why she felt a chill run down her spine when she heard the old couple were awake and would visit them. Her hands clenched at the memory in the Holy Oak’s mansion.
Everyone except for Lady Ravette and Marceline had gone to attend a soiree in the next town of the Holy Oak. They had returned in the evening to a horror they hadn’t expected. Marceline was left with deep marks, as if she had been hit to the point where her skin had ruptured and had brought blood out from her skin.
‘What did you do to her, mother?!’ Eduard asked his mother in shock, who held a grim expression on her face.
‘Discipling the girl. She seems to be walking on the wrong path, thinking I would not know when she tried to steal my diamonds,’ came the reasoning from Lady Ravette.
‘Rave, they are only diamonds. Was it necessary to beat the child until the point of bleeding??’ Lady Ravette’s husband asked her with horror on his face like others.
Lady Ravette’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Marceline, who was picked up by her son. She said, ‘It isn’t about diamonds, but that she felt she could steal. Moriartys aren’t thieves or beggars. She needs to understand it.’
‘So you beat her? Mother, what is wrong with you?!’ Eduard glared at his mother and checked Marceline, who needed attention.
A young Marceline had gone completely quiet, staring into space and not even wincing when her father’s skin made contact with her wounds. She held a blank expression as if not even realising that there were people in the room and she was being carried by her father.
‘You were supposed to look after her. Not turn her in this state. Katherina was right, Holy Oak is not right for the children. I didn’t know about it before, but I do now. It is because of you,’ Eduard glared at his mother and said, ‘Don’t you dare come near them. They are children and young.’
Lady Ravette turned annoyed by her son’s words, saying, ‘I am their grandmother, and I have a right to it. To bring them to the right path, and I can tell by a glance that she’s going to be a troublesome young lady. It is better to cut the bad roots now than when she grows up and it becomes hard to do.
‘You have done enough, Rave. You cannot lay your hands on the child. She’s still young and doesn’t know right from wrong,’ Strix spoke to his wife, who held an unapologetic expression.
‘Even after I hit her, she’s not regretful. Bring her here,’ Lady Ravette was intent on fixing Marceline’s behaviour.
‘You aren’t going anywhere near her,’ Lady Annalise said, coming between them.
Returning to the present, she wondered if Lady Ravette was right… or if Marceline’s character had been dented by her very grandmother. Instead of helping fix the behaviour, it had made things worse, creating two personas. One was cruel, and another was kind, to hide the first one.